Ice tray



I May 23, 1944.

R. L. HALLOCK ICE TRAY Filed Oct. 24, 1940 QZQVOFL WWW" I TORN PatentedMay 23, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ICE "PRAY Robert Lay Hallock,Larchmont, N. Y. Application October 24, 1940, Serial No. 362,553

7 Claims. (Cl. 62-1085) My invention relates to ice trays forrefrigerators and more particularly to an improved tray having a forcemultiplying tray release. Such tray release devices have heretofore beenof a construction having journalled or close sliding parts. Particularlyin the case of levers when so used it has been the practice to mount ajournal on the tray and mount the lever on the journal so that theseparating force is carried through the journal. The force forseparating an ice bond between an ice tray and a freezing surface islarge and the consequent stress on'the lever journal is large. Also sucha journal cannot be lubricated.

The object of vmy invention is to simplify structure of this kind and todo away with the journal or other close contact mounting through whichforce is transmitted when the leverage action is used in severing theice bond. Furthermore I aimto apply the forces more directly and oversurfaces such that the unit stress is reduced.

The nature of my invention will be apparent from the followingdescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing formingpart of this specification and of which:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a tray embodying the invention disposed in thefreezing unit of a refrigerator;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line ice bond between thetray body and the cold top surface of shelf H. The leverage device,generally designated by numeral I5, is preferably disposed at a cornerof the tray and'the tray is preferably of such thin metal that a peelingaction takes place beginning at a corner of the tray body.

Attached to the front side of the tray body is a bearing plate is ofmaterially thicker stock than the tray body itself. Bearing plate l6conforms to the contour of the tray body and may be spot-welded thereto.The tray body and bearing plate are dished at I! to provide a fulcrumpocket. Only the middle part of the bearing plate extends into'pocketl'l. Lateral parts of the bearing plate are formed to be spaced from thetray body and are-formed with projections l8, one on each lateral part,which extend toward each other and form a loose mounting for the lever20.

Lever 20 is a dished stampin having a top wall 22 and the parts can beso disposed that there is clearance between the projections l8 and thelever 20 and clearance between the lever and the bearing plate. Suchposition'is shown in Fig. 2. Even if the lever touches the projectionsor the tray body, there is no support by virtue of the mounting due tothe clearance between the lever and the mounting on the one hand and themiddle part of the bearing plate on the other hand. It will be seen thatthe space between the mounting and the central part of the bearing plateis much wider than the thickness of the part of the lever therebetween.The tray body and the lever rest independently on the shelf, themounting and lever holes merely providing 'a loose connection to retainthe parts in. operative but inactive relation like links of a chain whenunstressed. The upper part of the lever is cupped to-pass into therecess formed at H and to provide a rounded fulcrum bearing surface whenthe lever is raised. The handle end of the lever may be provided with aplastic cap 24 for contact with the finger of the operator.

To release the tray from the shelf, the lever 20 is lifted. Due to theclearances between the lever and the central part of the bearing plateand the mounting respectively, the initial movement is, in a sense, alost motion in which the lever pivots about the edge remote from part 24in contact with the shelf. When the top arched portion of the levercontacts the bearing plate,

force is spread over a considerable area due to the complementarycurvatures and width of the contacting parts of the lever and thebearing plate.

As will be apparent from the drawing, the bearing plate and lever can'bemade of two sheet metal stampings. The bearing plate is simply cut andformed to provide both the bearing surface and the mounting. The levercan be made as merely a cupped stamping withtwo holes in the sides. Themounting need not be strong since no force is exerted on it. No matterhow much frost builds up,-the lever is easily actuated.

The same lever and bearing plate may be used in principle without havingthe lever rest on the same surface as the tray body. For example, thelever may rest on a higher surface with the on the support, andmechanism on the tray to,

bearing plate attached to the side of the tray.

However, I prefer to have the force projected directly against the traybody or a reinforcement such as plate l6 directly conforming to thecontour thereof.

It will be seen that my improved tray release is sturdy though simple inconstruction and that the lever is a unitary part of the tray and thatjournal rotation as in pivots or hinges of'ordinary kind has beeneliminated.

I claim: H

i. In an ice tray for a refrigerator, a tray body adapted to rest on asupporting surface, a bearing plate mounted on said tray body, amounting fixed with respect to said bearing plate, and a lever looselyheld to said tray by said mounting and adapted to lie against saidsupporting surface when the tray rests thereon with clearance betweenthe lever and the mounting and clearance between the lever and thebearing plate,

said lever having contact with said bearing plate when raised andcontacting said surface to ex ert force multiplication for separatingsaid tray body from said surface without stress on the mounting.

2. In an ice tray for a refrigerator, a tray body for ,use in a part ofa freezing unit, a bearing plate mounted on said tra-y body, a mountingfixed with respect to said tray body, and a lever loosely held to saidtray by said mounting and adapted to lie against a surface of saidfreezing unit when the tray is in position for freezing with clearancebetween the lever and the mounting and clearance between the lever andthe bearing plate, said lever having fulcrum contact with said bearingplate when raised and contacting the freezing unit to exert a leveragefor severing any ice bond which may be formed at the bottom of said traybody without force being exerted on or through the mounting.

3. The combination with a cooling element having a shelf or support, ofa tray body adapted to rest on the support and having side walls andopen at the top, one of the side walls intermediate the top and bottomedges thereof being shaped to provide a substantially horizontal wallportion spaced from the shelf, and a member pivotally connected to saidside wall of the tray in the vicinity of the horizontal wall portion andI operable to separate the tray from the support, said member being soarranged and connected on the tray that all of the force to separate thetray from the support is primarily transmitted through a part of themember with substantially no force being transmitted through the pivotalconnection.

4. The combination with a cooling element having a shelf or support, ofa tray body having a bottom and vertical walls and adapted to rest exert,a separating force between the tray and shelf to raise the former withrespect to the latter, said mechanism including a part tumably mountedon one of said vertical walls against which ice is adapted to be frozenwithin the tray, said mechanism being so constructed and mounted on saidvertical wall that, when the separating force is produced to break anice bond that may be formed between the bottom of thetray and thesupport, substantially no force acts on said mounting'whereby strainingof the said mounting is substantially avoided.

5. In an ice tray for a refrigerator, a tray body adapted to havecontact with a cold surface between which body and cold surface an icebond may be formed, said tray body having a side wall, a part on theexterior of said side wall providing a pivotal support for a lever, anda lever pivotally mounted on said support, said parts being soconstructed and arranged, and particularly the clearance between saidlever and its pivotal support being such, that raising one end of saidlever causes the other end of said lever to fulcrum on said coldsurface, and an intermediate part of said lever to bear against saidtray to effect severance of an ice bond, while at the same time said-lever substantially clears its pivotal support so that substantially noforce is exerted on the support.

6. In an ice tray for a refrigerator, a tray body having a bottom andupright side walls, a support having a cold surface, said tray bodyadapted to have contact wth said cold surface between which body andsurface an ice bond may be formed, a lever contacting the tray andsupport, and a part on the tray to hold the lever adjacent one of theupright walls outside of the tray, said elements being so constructedand as sociated that said lever can be rotated with respect to said oneupright wall while contacting the tray and support to exert an ice bondbreaking force on said tray body without exertion of force on said leverholding part.

'7. The combination with a cooling element having a shelf or support, ofa tray body adapted to rest on said support and having a side walldished inward to form a pocket in the exterior surface thereof, whichpocket has a wall portion substantially horizontal and spaced from saidsupport, a part secured to said tray body in the vicinity of saidpocket, and a turnable member carried by said part, said elements beingso constructed and arranged that said member is operable to produce aseparating force between said substantially horizontal wall portion zeroforce of action or reaction on said part.

ROBERT LAY HALLOCK.

